As a conventional information providing apparatus that provides price information associated with an article to the user, the following apparatus is known. That is, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-274326, catalog information of articles as objects for sale is stored in a database in the form of multimedia information, and information associated with a given article specified on a computer system is read out from the database to allow external output, estimation, shipping inquiry, order reception process, and the like.
In the field of automobiles as a representative vehicle, a technique for providing on-line information associated with a vehicle to a user's information terminal via a communication line has been proposed. As an example of such technique, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199820 proposes a technique for making on-line virtual exhibition of automobiles.
According to the technique of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199820, a customer who wants to purchase an automobile not only can collect article catalogues but also can browse information associated with a plurality of types of automobiles without visiting many dealers. Hence, such technique is convenient for the customer and allows dealers to make efficient business activities.
However, the technique of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-199820 makes only on-line virtual exhibition of automobiles. It does not disclose about providing on-line status information, from when the virtual exhibition is made until the automobile is delivered, to the user.
Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-274326 can make external output, estimation, shipping inquiry, order reception process, and the like of a special article using information stored in a database. However, it does not disclose about providing on-line status information, from when the order reception process and the like is made until the automobile is delivered, to the user.
A purchasing process itself, i.e., from selection until actual order of an article to be purchased, is fun for general customers. However, the above prior arts or other conventional systems cannot satisfy customer's (user's) expectation upon purchasing an automobile from when the customer has made purchase contract until the automobile is actually delivered, and a new scheme (entertainability) that can satisfy the customer's expectation is demanded.